Project Home Page

We are a specialist, not for profit training provider working with the voluntary sector to help them work more efficiently, improve skills and knowledge and deliver even better services to their clients.

New Open Programme is Here!

Winter is Coming and so is our next Open Programme!

Our new Open Programme for January to March is here! Keep your eyes peeled for our new brochure and new courses as they appear on the site.

January is all about training that supports general staff and volunteers.

February sees the arrival of our communication courses that can help you to hone your powers of persuasion. There will also be a healthy mix of essential courses such as First Aid, Manual Handling and Safeguarding.

March will provide a cornucopia of voluntary sector-specific courses. Expect to see Finance, Fundraising and First Aid, as well as Volunteer Management amongst others.

Volunteer Management Courses

SPOTLIGHT ON: Train the Trainer

Feedback for Train the Trainer course!

Our ever popular Train the Trainer course took place in Colchester in October and returns in January. The delegates could not have been happier with their training. Have a look at some of the feedback:

If you want to be as happy as these delegates, the course is running again in January 2019 and can be booked here. Perhaps your organisation would benefit from having your own Train the Trainer course delivered on site? Contact us on information@community360.org.uk or on 01206 505250 for a quote.

Train with us

We get results

92% of people we trained last year say they are now performing better in their jobs, and 86% of charities who sent their staff to us say their organisation has become more efficient as a result.

Expert trainers, high quality training

Our trainers are the voluntary sector’s top experts in leadership, management, fundraising and communications, ready to give you the best quality training. Last year, 98% of people we trained said our trainers were either “excellent” or “good”.

Low costs

We know times are tough. We work hard to get funding to subsidise the costs of our training for charities and community groups from a range of sources. As A Non-for-Profit, all funds are invested to support the sector.

No travel

Why travel to London when you can receive the same high quality training on your doorstep? Our courses run throughout Essex, at venues convenient to you.

Suitable for big and small charities

We have training to suit everyone – whether you’re from a new or small group looking for basic guidance or from a bigger, well established organisation looking for more advanced advice. Our prices are tiered accordingly.

Relevant training

We work with charities, voluntary sector organisations and community groups. This means our training is totally relevant to you and your needs.

Our history

We were established in 1999 thanks to a Lottery grant to provide training in Uttlesford. Since then, we’ve expanded all over Essex and beyond and delivered over 2,000 courses supporting well over 21,000 people. We merged with Community360 on 1st September 2017 and will continue to offer an enhanced and sustainable training programme for the voluntary and community sector in Essex.

Here to help

The People Behind VST

Tina Bullen joined Community 360 in July 2018 and runs VST. Prior to this, she worked as a teacher trainer for 2½ years and as an English teacher in the FE sector for 10 years. Tina is responsible for managing the open programme and arranging tailored training.

She is very ably assisted by Amanda Woods who is responsible for the behind-the-scenes administration, ensuring everything runs smoothly for everyone booking onto our wonderful courses.

Our Information Team are also on hand to deal with your initial enquiries, so please get in touch.

We are all very happy to help you.

Please don’t hesitate to email us or phone us on 01206 505250 if you have any enquiries.

How we help you

From management and leadership to communications and fundraising, we can meet all your charity’s training needs – at a cost you can afford. Our current charges for open training courses can be viewed here and are tiered according to the income of organisation so that our training is accessible for all sizes of charities and community groups or others associated with the sector. We run regular half day, full day and two day courses all over Essex for your staff, volunteers, trustees and committee members or we can come up with a course tailored to your charity’s needs and deliver it in house.

Follow us

If you need training but can’t see what you want on the VST Open Programme, contact us to enquire about Tailored Training on: 01206 505250 or email information@community360.org.uk #training #VoluntarySector #C360 https://t.co/znI8fj5Iz7

Our Shopmobility service has a range of manual wheelchairs and electric scooters to hire for part or all of the day. We also have holiday scooters than be hired for a long weekend or full weeks. Find out more here https://t.co/l2m7k3m9G4 #Shopmobility #C360 #Advent #Christmas

A huge thank you to staff at @ColBoroughHomes who have donated lots of coats, kids clothes, socks and warm jumpers to us today in support of #WinterResilience All donations are hugely appreciated, so please continue to send your donations to the One Colchester shop #C360

Latest news

The One Colchester Winter Resilience launched on Monday 26th November 2018 and has a rolling application process with a deadline on 31st January 2019. The purpose of the One Colchester Winter Resilience Fund is to provide additional capacity to voluntary and community groups support at risk groups, residents and projects that help local people during the Winter period. […]

Two winter warmer schemes in Colchester and Tendring have each received £100,000 from the Suffolk and North East Essex health and care system to help those in need stay warm. The initiatives also aim to reduce isolation, promote better health and prevent hospital admissions for non-emergency matters. In Tendring, ‘May The Warmth Be […]

Community360 is an incorporated registered charity and has been established within Colchester since 1968. We are an independent infrastructure organisation, which provides fundamental support to voluntary and community organisations (VCO's), establishes relationships between voluntary and statutory groups and guides local projects.